Hardest thing for Pope is firing people

Vatican City, Feb 26 (IANS/AKI) In a new book, Pope Francis has said the toughest decisions he has to take involve sacking staff.

“There are many hard choices, but I have to say that the type of decision that is most difficult for me is to remove someone from a responsible job or a position of trust, or a path they are following, for reasons of unsuitability,” Francis said.

In “Love Before the World”, Francis answers a question from an eight-year-old boy in Britain and 30 others across five continents.

The book contains 31 letters and drawings sent to Francis by children from various Jesuit schools around the world. The Pontiff’s replies to their questions and requests for advice on a wide range of topics.

The book’s title is drawn from the Pope’s answer to a question put to him in one of the letters: “What did God do before the world was made?”